UK Encourages People to Become Organ Donors With “Seven Days To Say Yes I Donate Campaign”

People across United Kingdom are encouraged to talk about organ donation during the occasion of National Transplant Week.Throughout this week, NHS Blood and Transplant organization urges its citizens to break the silence on organ donation. It wants all the young adults to decide on organ donation. About a third of adults living in the UK admit they haven’t considered organ donation or decided if they want to be an organ donor.

Anthony Clarkson, NHS Blood and Transplant’s assistant director for organ donation and nursing, said, “Every day three people die in need of a transplant. Yet across the UK one in three adults haven’t considered organ donation or decided whether they want to be an organ donor. To save more lives we need more donors. To raise that number we really need everyone to understand the importance of not being complacent. We need to get to the point where organ donation is high on the list of important personal conversations we routinely have with loved ones.”

For the first time in 11 years, the number of organ donors dropped in UK last year. It also has the lowest rate of families giving consent to organ donation. Only 58% agreed to donate their family members’ organs after their death in 2014-2015.

Mr Clarkson said: “As a nation we’re happy sharing dreams of big money wins and bucket-list holidays and we’ll confide in our loved ones our worries about how we look. Yet many of us are still not making the time or are not comfortable talking about organ donation. This week we’d like everyone to give a few minutes of their time to think about organ donation.”

As a part of the week, a campaign has been organized by the NHS Blood and Transplant along with partners to raise awareness on organ donation. It encourages adults to participate in the campaign called “Seven Days to Say Yes I Donate.”

As part of the “Seven Days to Say Yes I Donate“ campaign, anyone can show their support for organ donation on social media during this week by posting their thoughts using the hashag #sayidonate.

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Mr Clarkson added: “Telling your loved one you want to be an organ donor means your family will be in no doubt about your decision meaning your wishes will be fulfilled should you die in circumstances where organ donation is possible.”

Source-Medindia